As has been widely discussed over the past decade, the U.S. transportation and energy infrastructures—from highways and bridges to airports, rail and ports to power generation and distribution—have seen a significant degradation and have significant cyber exposure.
Ben Franklin famously said, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” This saying certainly holds true for smart grid deployment plans, which can cost utilities several hundred million dollars. Given these high stakes, good planning is essential. Many utilities have installed smart grids. Currently, 25% of U.S. electricity customers have smart meters, a key component of… Keep reading →
In his January 23 State of the Union address, President Obama emphatically pointed out that it was public research dollars that helped develop the technologies to extract natural gas from shale rock, “reminding us that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.”
Presumably, the President also understands that it is a two-way street. While public investment has created mutually beneficial opportunities for private companies, private companies should closely partner with the public sector whenever opportunities for their participation present themselves. Keep reading →
